Holder for toothpaste or the like



B. CUTLER HOLDER FOR TOOTHPASTE OR THE LIKE Dec. 26, 1950 Filed Dec. 12, 1945 Patented Dec. 26, 1950 Nil TEfD STATES FATENT A0F FlfCE mountain-on A'rozo'maussvra anatema inarneyoutlergnew Haven, "calm VApplication December i12, 194:5, SerialNonSTllS `1 caen. 1to1. 222-1051) This` invention -relates to containers forpaste orlsimilar material,.fsuch, dfor example, as tooth- DaSLS- `1`ootl'ipasteisordinarily `dispensed at the present 'time in metallic collapsible tubes having a screwicap, `and itis necessary, -after the required quantity ofipaste-has been expelledfrom the tube, to :screw the cap backinplace. Sometimes this operation lis emitted, `with the result that the paste exudes from `the tube, making an untidy condition. Moreover, even though the cap `is screwed 'hack fluponfthe tube, it is often found that, between the time the paste is dispensed and the replacement :rif .ther-,an Aan additional quantity ofpaste has exudedfrom the tube and l' container with a neck portion -lhaving thickened Walls, the :extreme end of the :neckjzportionibeing in tturn :provided with Aa slit ror opening which will `:be :self-closing. With rsuch `a structure :it Willbeunnecessary toprovide anyfclosingfcap, and thus'tlrework of screwing a rcap'upon the icontainer after a -`quantity of `paste has been dispensed will be eliminated. "Moreover, after a portinfof the tube has been pressed or partially collapsed in =order to expel "the "contents, and the pressure has been released, the elastic wall of the container will tend to assume its original shape, and thereby tend to create a vacuum in the tube which will tend to retract any paste within the slit or opening in the end of the neckback into the tube, so that the opening will close effectively due to its inherent resilience.

I also contemplate by the present invention to make the container generally circular in cross section, but flattened along one side, so that this flattened area extends from one end of the tube `to the other to enable the tube to be supported or suspended against a flat surface such as a wall, for example. With this construction the tube will lie flatly against the wall so as to be easily subjected to pressure to expel the contents, and the shape will add to its stability during the application of such pressure.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel container for paste or like material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container for a paste or like substance,

condition.

.A still -further object of `.the .invention is #to provide -a container -of the character described, which container `will vbe generally Acircular in cross-sectional form, but which ywill be flattened `along one side in `order ithat `the container may befsupportedin;a-relatively stablepositionagainst a `backing surface such f as .a :wall or the like.

.To these -,and`other rends `the invention con sists fin the novel features and :combinations ofparts to bewhereinafterfdescribed and claimed.

V:Inlthe accompanying drawing:

Fig. llfisaaf'side elevational viewfofa container embodying my invention;

.'Figf2 `is a `sectional view on line t 2-2 Aof rFig. f1;

rFig. is a fragmentary `vertical sectional rview onvline 1f3-31ofrFign2, 4showingthe tube with the opening in closed position;

Fig. 4 isayiewsimilar 4toxFig. :3, `showing the contents of the -tube :being expelled therefrom; and

.-Fig; 5 fisfazverticalsectional view oi aimodifled form of "my invention.

,lI'ofillustrate :a preferred .embodiment ofimy invention, I have shown in the drawings a container comprising a tubular body portion l0 formed of elastic material such as natural or synthetic rubber, or a soft plastic, for example. As shown in Fig. 2, the Wall of the container may be relatively thin, and the container is generally circular in cross-sectional shape. This circular shape is departed from, however, at the back of the tube, where there is provided a llattened surface Il extending from one end of the tube to the other. As shown in Fig. 1, this flattened surface is designed to lie against a wall or other support I2, so that the tube will be relatively stable when so supported, and will not tend to oscillate or rock as it would if it were entirely round in cross section.

At one end the container is provided with a depending neck I3. This neck, as shown, is formed integrally with the body portion of the container, but is of smaller diameter` than the body portion. The walls of the neck are relatively thick as compared to those of the body 3 portion, and merge into the latter, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

At the extreme outer end of the neck the wall thereof is slit, as shown at I 4, to form a discharge opening. Due to the resilience of the material, this opening will ordinarily remain in closed position, but will open up under pres- A'sure to allow discharge of the material therefrom, as shown, for example, at l5 in Fig. 4. However, when the pressure is removed the walls of the tube will tend to assume their original "form, and thus tend to draw any material within the slit i4 back into the tube so as to allow the opening to close and thus keep the contents in sterile condition, and particularly prevent air from entering the tube.

At its upper end the forward portion of the wall of the tube is flattened against the rear portion thereof so as to provide a flat tab I6 to enable the tube to be secured in a depending position. This tab may be provided with an opening I1 adapted to receive a nail or pin I8 from which the container may be suspended. The walls of the tube adjacent the flattened tab I6 may be effectively closed by being vulcanized together so that this end of the tube will also be sealed. v

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown a modied form of my invention, wherein the container 20 of elastic material is adapted to receive the usual collapsible metallic tube in which material in paste form is contained. The container 2D is of substantially the same shape as the container I8, previously described, and may be made of the same material. It is provided with a depending thickened neck 2| formed integrally with the body of the container, which neck is provided with a self-closing slit-like opening 22. It will be noted that the walls of the neck 2| are relatively thick, and are shaped to snugly and tightly receive the threaded neck 23 of a collapsible tube 24, the walls of the neck 2| making tight contact With the neck of the tube.

At its upper end the container 2U is flattened, as shown at 25, but the container is left open and not sealed at its upper end in order to permit the collapsible tube 24 to be inserted therein. In this case also the container 20 may be supported against a vertical wall by a nail or pin 26 passing through the walls of the flattened portion 25. It will also be understood that there is a flattened area 27 provided at the rear face of the container 20, this area being similar to 4 the area Il shown in connection with the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.

While I have shown and described some preierred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modication and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claim.

What I claim is:

A container for a collapsible tube having a projecting neck through which is discharged the material contained in the tube, said container comprising a tubular body portion of relatively soft elastic material having an integrally formed depending reduced portion at one end snugly receiving the neck of the collapsible tube, the wall of said reduced portion being thickened as compared with the body portion, and said reduced portion having a self-closed opening therein to permit expulsion of the contents of the tube under pressure and to seal the container when the pressure is relieved, said container having a flattened area extending from the reduced portion to the open end thereof to enable the container to lie flatly against a backing surface, the other end of the container being open for the recep-v tion of the tube therein, the neck of the tube fitting snugly in the depending reduced portion of the container and means for securing the container t0 a substantially vertical surface in a pendent position.

BARNEY CUTLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 863,260 Butterfield Aug. 13, 1907 1,622,526 Lewis Mar. 29, 1927 1,643,381 Kahn Sept. 27, 1927V 1,709,411 Simmons Apr. 16, 1929 1,823,206 Maher Sept. 15, 1931 2,204,778 Sturm June 18, 1940 2,291,282 Hollenbeck July 28, 1942 2,315,319 Dresden Mar. 30, 1943 2,337,264 Nissen Dec. 21, 1943,r 2,340,681 Oursler Feb. 1, 1944' FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 783,420 France July 12, 1935 

